Notes / Commercial Description:
”Do you know what dwells in a glass?” asks Ole, in Hans Christian Andersen's The Watchman of the Tower. Better known for stories such as The Little Mermaid, Andersen wrote this short, cautionary tale for a somewhat older audience. Our quadrupel ale, also meant for the mature connoisseur, is a deep and mysterious libation, dark auburn and full-bodied, its sweetness deceptive. As Ole describes the glasses in turn, their contents become more ominous until, in the sixth glass...

Reviews by bigjoe786:

More User Reviews:

Thanks to umich03jm for bringing this one along. I've got a bottle myself, so it'll be nice to see whether I should let it sit for a while longer or not. Sixth Glass is some strange color that's not quite amber and not quite copper and not quite orange, but somewhere in between. Mild clarity, surprising for a Quad, with lots of suspended sediment bits hanging about. The creamy, beige head looks like it might stick around for a while, but quickly vanishes to a simple skin.

Dark figs, Belgian yeast, bubblegum, mild clove, floral hops, a hint of mint, touches of spicy phenol, and some underlying, sweet esters. Overhead, some extremely light grapes and raisins hang and add a faint tartness and mild sweetness note to the aroma. It's Quad-like, for sure, but not quite as enjoyable or robust or sweet as some other great ones.

Even more bubblegum when you take a sip, like popping a mouth full of Bubble Yum, original flavor. It's funny to me how much Belgian yeast can resemble bubblegum, and it certainly shines here. Candi sugar, clove, light mint... the typical Belgian "spiced" flavors, but something is still missing. There's a lot to be admired on the surface but when you take a deeper look, it seems quite vapid and full of itself, kind of like Ryan Reynolds.

Rotten, dark fruits add to the mix a little bit; plum, dates, and even some mild banana from the yeast. Phenol spices get heavier with warmth and some medicinal and menthol notes eventually come in and shut things down like your parents coming home early from work and interrupting your after-school tonsil hockey session. Chalky, sugar-sweet, fruity and phenolic finish; medium-heavy bodied with decent carbonation and a thick, creamy mouth feel.

Not a bad Quad, but there are a few things holding this back from being really enjoyable to me. The problem is, my palate (like many others) has been spoiled like a pre-teen in Bel-Air by things like Westvletern XII and St. Bernardus Abt 12. Those beers have changed the Quad game forever and Sixth Glass doesn't quite hit the bar. Still enjoyable but nothing to get hard over.

Part of Boulevard Brewing Co.'s Smokestack Series. The Quad might not be the hardest style to brew, but there are many world-class examples to pit this one against. The light tan head towers almost out of the glass and keeps a decent lacing for the duration. Mild haze on the brownish-amber color. Heavy hit of malt in the nose with caramel, dark bread and cooked fruit/fruitcake with prunes, apples and raisins. So damn smooth with a lush creamy backdrop to the full body. Malt blankets the palate with a sweetness that lasts all the way through, caramel comes in big right in the middle with a juicy ripe fruitiness. Alcohol has an obvious presence with its warmth and mild peppery spice character. Ghost-like beef broth and mild hop bitterness are on par for the style. A little bit of toasted bread-crust in the sweet and slightly spicy finish.

Amazing, Boulevard hits this one just right. Packed with flavor and small complexities, yet still very drinkable and even approachable. We've been to Belgium a few times and have tried numerous Belgian-inspired beers around the globe, and this one sits very close to the top.

Good to see Boulevard here in NC.Poured into a chalice a deep auburn (just like the bottle says) with a large but pretty quick to fade off white head atop.Dark fruits abound in the nose along brown sugar and sweet alcohol.Cakey flavors like that of christmas cake that has soaked in alcohol for awhile, toffee, and a faint shot of yeasty spiced notes as well.It's a little hot but it doesn't hinder the beer much.A solid quad it's not a big complex monster but it has all the components of a solid quad.

A: creamy head that sits in a small 1/8 filthat does not dissipate after having a decent head slightly brown notes. Body is a rich caramel color that is very turbid so much so you can not see through it

S: lots of banana and clove light hints of raisin and caramel

T: a lot of the nose follows the taste with some burnt sugary taste added in not as much caramel but the banana and clove are there.

O: has a very high carbonation feel and has that slightly syrupiness to it so you feel like you are scraping it off your tongue after you drink it. Yet at the same time it seems a tad watery

O: Solid beer the burnt sugary taste and banana and clove are very prevelant. I do not think it is as rich and complex as the belgium counterparts I don't get a lot of dark fruit out of this. Alcohol is hidden very well. I have still never had an american version of a quad that even comes remotely close to Rochefort, St Bernadus, Chimay, or Trappist. I have never had Westvleteren.

Atlanta Ale meeting. This one is funky, with apple juice as the predominent taste, and cloves, toasted caramel, candy brown sugar, fruit, above average mouthfeel. Lacing. High alcohol is there.Looks like a quad,Drinkable but not my go-to quad. Is this bottle right?

Pours a deep and murky orange-hued amber color in the glass, topped with a finger of foamy off-white head. This retains with some fizzy edging around the edges of the glass, which dots the sides with creamy lacing. The aroma smells of spicy phenols, softer fruit, light chocolate, and a sweet sugary graininess in the nose.

The taste is fruit, (orange is sticking out), cocoa, doughy sugars and then more of a sweeter candied feel as well. There is a moderate amount of spiciness here that comes out fairly boldly in the finish. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied and a bit thick up front, which then spreads out into a more sprightly carbonation that fills the mouth with an overall smoother feel. There is a little alcohol underneath here that helps pop that spice.

This was a pretty good take on a Belgian Quad from Boulevard, with a nice mix of fruit, spice and sugars that kept this flavorful in its profiles. That 10%+ ABV is deceptively hid as well. Watch out!

A curl of smoke exited the bottle once the cork popped. The body was a rusty orange-brown, with transparent clarity. Good amount of foam, it's color had a rust tinge to it as well.

Nutty aroma of almond, maybe dates also. Subdued and not overly sweet like some Belgian Quads. Malty flavors with strong estery notes from the yeast. More dried fruits and nuts, with a slowly dissipating warmth following the finish. It was sturdy, but not heavy or syrupy. Light enough to want to finish the whole bottle easily. Great choice for a winter night, with good cellar potential.

Bottle: Poured a slightly hazy amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of candi sugar with some notes of peppery yeast with light dry fruit. Taste is also a mix between some candi sugar and peppery spicy yeast with some subtle notes of dry fruits. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Well made but lacking the candy and dry fruits component s that characterize that style of beer.

A: The beer is hazy brownish yellow in color. It poured with a finger high beige head that died down rather quickly, leaving a collar around the edge and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of sweet fruits are present in the smell along with notes of Belgian yeast.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has lots sweetness intermingled with the fruity flavors.
M: It feels more than medium-bodied and sticky on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The strong amount of malty sweetness in this beer makes it somewhat difficult to drink, but this is something that really needs to be sipped given its strength. It definitely tastes strong, but any flavors of alcohol are very well hidden.

A – Rich, medium amber, with a slightly copperish hue in the wider, denser parts of the glass. AN off-white, yellowish foamy head of 2-3 inches plus, craggy, with very high retention. Beer is somewhat hazy.

S – Very peppery yeast spice, with clove notes, is the first blast to hit the nose. A lot of fruit, especially pear and apricot and maybe golden raisins. Malt is mostly bread dough or cracker, maybe a light touch of caramel or bread crust. There might be some earthy, herbal hops, but they are low. Alcohol seems to be likely responsible for some of the estery fruity aromas.

T – Again, that yeast-derived pepper/clove spice is the star. Fruity flavors are pears, apple, raisins, and a touch of orange or nectarine-like citrus. Hops are not really noticeable. Malt impression is flour, uncooked dough, cracker, with some light bread crust notes. Esters seem to be from the yeast and the alcohol, which is apparent but not abrasive.

M – Very high carbonation, balancing out moderate-high residual sweetness and medium-full body. Spicy, and still dry despite the remaining sugars. Bitterness is low, enough to provide some balance but not prevalent. Alcohol contributes mild heat, noticeable but pleasant.

O – An interesting beer, as it is still very sweet despite its dryness and high attenuation. I like the saison-like peppery notes a lot. Very complex but still very accessible/drinkable.

Pours a very light color for the style--light copper with a bit of a reddish hue. Single-finger off-white head starts it out. Eventually the head fades into a light collar with a few spots of lacing on the side of the glas. The nose has some faint dark fruits plus a bit of lightly-sweet malt. Perhaps a hint of caramel. Nothing too complex. A bit of booze there as well. The flavor has dark fruits, cherries, light alcohol, and a bit of sweet malt. Everything melds together quite well. Medium body with lowish carbonation. Overall, pretty good. Glad I got to try this.

Been enjoying my trip through Boulevard's offerings (seeing as they're now all over the place here in the Chicago 'burbs), which means I'm lookin' forward to this one. It pours a clear garnet-ruby topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises fig, rye bread, red apple skin, light raspberry, black pepper, nutmeg, light cocoa powder, and toffee. The taste holds notes of caramel, rye bread, black pepper, fig, light plum, light strawberry, red grapes, and a light sprinkling of chocolate powder. The body is a strong medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta syrupy feel. Overall, a very nice quad, one that deftly balances the bready, sweet, and fruity characters very well.

the sixth glass quadrupel from smokestack. Originally had in 750mL, multiple re-reviews in 12oz bottles.

Tried this one first on vacation in TX at my mom's house. Surprised Boulevard makes it this far south... but then again, I'm not surprised, it's a great brewery. I was truly ecstatic tho when I saw they had a smokestack series at the local supermarket (although this was the only one).. and not only that, it was one of the ones I hadn't tried yet!

Life is good, that's why they make these beers... so you don't forget!

Absolutely beautiful brew, clear copper-amber, many rising bubbles, and a full, thick, lasting head with ample lacing that slides down the glass to rejoin the head accents this fantastic beer creation.

Raisins, dark fruits, plums, cherries, mild hops, yeast and sweet malts all shine through on this very spicy smelling, wonderful brew. At this ABV, there's no covering up a slight scent of alcohol, but it seems to only enhance in this case. FABULOUS.

Tastes much like the smell, fabulously delicious and complex as any beer I've ever had. All the dark fruits are hinted at, especially raisins, cherries and figs, with a touch of delicious apple. The spices stand out equally, and spicy it is. Pepper is definitely present, as are a whole bunch more sweet and spicy flavors. There's also a noticeable flavor of delicious yeastiness, a very mild alcohol flavor (faint for such a strong beer), and some sweet breaded malts and just a touch of hops, perfectly balanced. The sweet raisiny spiciness lingers oh so nicely with every sip.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, and wonderful; nothing short of a work of art. A warm feeling of satisfaction permeates the gullet as this strong brew works its magic. The perfect fruity aftertaste finishes it off.

Note: Mouthfeel probably got a little better as it warmed, but overall this brew showed almost equal character and enjoyability over the full range of temperatures, which for me were from cold refrigeration temperature upon opening (pouring into a snifter) to the full on room temperature warmness upon finishing my last sip of the 750 mL bottle almost two hours later. This hasn't changed over multiple sessions of re-reviewing this beer.

Drinkability is absolutely perfect. Few beers meet such a high standard in any style, any country. America SHINES on this one. I challenge any foreign country to top this beer.

EDIT: upon re-review multiple times, I'm upping my rating on this one to a perfect FIVE. I've done enough reviews that I know that this one is as close to perfect as it's likely to get, and I have never, ever liked a beer more than this one. If something else winds up beating it, I'll change my review back to the original 4.85 it was on the first go-round. Even on my fifth or sixth re-visitation of this brew, I still absolutely love it every time. This is my favorite smokestack, favorite quad, and remains my highest rated beer for good reason.

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Moderate head with slight lacing throughout. Flavor intensifies slightly as it warms and this ends up being a solid representation for the style. World Class? Not quite. A tier below.

Pours with a very tall head (2" plus) with a nice dark brown color. Smells sweet, with a citrus/estery smell. WOnderful taste, though with a yeasty, sour bread taste. That description makes it sound terrible but it's actually really good. Reminds me of an old ale. Has a nice boozy finish. IMHO this fills in nicely when the Bourbon Barrel Quad is not available, which it never is where I live.

Decided to grab this one from the fridge because I'm a huge fan of the style and I'm really in the mood for a good quad. I think this is my first special series beer from Boulevard. I don't remember what I made of their other offerings. Best by: 08/07/14. 10.50% ABV confirmed. Expectations are high given its current ratings. Reviewed live. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a New Belgium goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, California.

Fresh and cold from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated. Not paired with food. Allowed to warm over the course of consumption.

A: Pours a two finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention for the high ABV. Smooth and frothy. Lacing is pretty good. Body colour is a nontransparent understated auburn ruby. Looks best with some light behind it. Some yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Looks as a quad should. When the head reduces after a couple minutes, there's still a pleasant glistening floater atop the beer. I'm excited to try this one.

T: A lightly bready caramelized dried fruit body. Some spice from the yeast. Certainly raisin and fig come through, not getting as much of the plum as I'd like. It has a good rich malty backbone that helps balance its more refined notes. Hopping is minimal, with some light floral notes but mainly just preservative function. Has a lightly vinous undertone. A bit of alcohol comes through, manifesting mainly as a warming sensation in the stomach but also in the flavour. Biscuit malt makes an appearance as do well layered amber malts. It's consistent throughout and nicely balanced, though it lacks the depth I'd expect from a great example of the style. Caramel and prune come through. Ripe fruit blossoms on the climax, with a slight sweetness in the second act as well. A hint of peppercorn in the early second act. My main problem with it is the overdone sweetness on the finish, which really holds the beer back.

As I sip more and more on it, the alcohol heat builds in my stomach.

It does come off overly sweet. The dark fruit would do better dried and refined. All around a well balanced beer of high complexity. I quite like it. Just what I'm in the mood for. A well built quad.

Mf: Warm, lightly creamy, and not quite dry enough. Certainly too vinous and thick in the late second act through the climax. Could use a bit more coarseness as well. It certainly doesn't lack body; it's very filling. Not at all astringent. Well carbonated. Good presence on the palate, though as noted above it does lack a depth of flavour to accompany its full body. Suits the flavours well but doesn't seem custom-tailored to them. A light stickiness is apparent.

Dr: Very drinkable for the high ABV but that alcohol does make it something of a sipper. ABV is poorly concealed here. It's meant to be enjoyed slowly, and gets better as it warms. Boulevard has impressed me with this one and I look forward to trying more of their beers. A good effort for the style. Fans of the style will not be disappointed.

I get some heat on the burp.

A pretty good choice for aging, but that said there are better (likely cheaper) options in the style.

Serve after a period of rest from the refrigerator. She gets better as she warms.

Pair with fig newtons and/or plain unsalted pretzels.

Drank fine out of a goblet. I'd recommend a goblet or teku as the ideal serving glass.

With a reduction of the third act sweetness and better concealment of the ABV, this would easily rise to at least a B. Further honing the mouthfeel might raise it to a B+. More depth of flavour - especially insofar as the fruit is concerned - could bring this to an A-.

High B-

**I manipulated the "overall" section to give the letter grade I wanted in the interest of maintaining the integrity and consistency of my reviews.

Taste--Awesome Belgian malty-sweetness, with notes of burnt sugar and banana balanced with spice and alcohol warmth, rather than bite.

Feel--I frequently find myself going out of my way to compliment Boulevard on this aspect of its brews. Quads can get pretty "cloying." This American take on the style shines because the alcohol and carbonation provide a striking counterpoint to the sweetness of its taste to deliver a crisp and dry finish.

Overall--This isn't St. B. Or Roche. Or (fill in the name of your favorite trappist here.) But for an American take on this style--this is the standard by which all other American takes should be measured.

M: Medium-thick body. Creamy and firm with acute scrubbing and lifting action from the high carbonation.

O: On the lighter side of the quad spectrum, so maybe not what people tend to associate with the style as much. Great attenuation and nice fermentation. A lot of great complexity and character here. It really began to grow on me as I drank my way through it,

Pours a murky orange-brown with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy patches of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, dark fruits, and some spice aromas. As the beer warms up, there is an aroma of caramel covered bananas. Taste is much the same with a pretty intense alcohol kick and a medium spice bitterness that lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but it's pretty strong alcohol wise.